Team - Portchain

Niels Kristiansen

CEO, co-founder

Niels is co-founder and Chief Executive Officer at Portchain. Previously, he worked at McKinsey advising primarily container terminals and lines on strategy and digitization. He also led McKinsey’s first internal startup, where he led the development of an application for the shipping industry. Niels studied Economics at the University of Gothenburg and Oxford, and has an M.B.A. from M.I.T.

Anders Olivarius

CPO, co-founder

Anders is co-founder and Chief Product Officer at Portchain. Previously, he worked at McKinsey leading the development of several B2B applications. Anders was Product Manager for a SaaS application that used machine learning to predict vessel arrivals for container terminals. He led several end-to-end process digitization efforts across leading logistics and financial institutions.

Thor Thorup

CCO, co-founder

Thor is co-founder and Chief Commercial Officer at Portchain. Previously, he worked at McKinsey leading digital transformations for shipping and logistics clients. He led the development of an industry leading data sharing effort in a Global Port, and led several digital strategy efforts for companies across the logistics value chain. Thor has a MSc in Mechanical Engineering (Hons) from the Technical University of Denmark.

Michael Lindahl

Vice President of Analytics

Michael is Vice President of Analytics at Portchain. Michael has worked with applying advanced analytics in different industries to improve planning and decision-making, such as manpower scheduling in airports, network design in offshore wind farms and timetabling at universities. He has a Ph.D. in operations research from the Technical University of Denmark.

Toby Miller

Vice President of Customers

Toby is Vice President of Customers at Portchain. Previously, he worked at McKinsey leading work on transformations for shipping and energy clients. He has led multiple digital strategy efforts across companies in these industries. Before McKinsey, he worked at BP where he led implementation of production optimisation systems. Toby holds a MEng in Engineering Science (Hons) specialising in Machine Learning from the University of Oxford.

Craig Halford

Vice President of Sales

Craig is the Vice President of Sales at Portchain. Previously he worked at Navis leading the Sales Strategy for Navis’ first SaaS platform and internal start-up named XVELA cloud collaboration. With 12 years experience from Navis, Craig’s roles included advising and selling to terminal, carrier and vessel executives, putting Craig in a strong position to further the goals of Portchain. Craig studied Computing for Business Applications at the University Manchester.

Rasmus Holmann Sørensen

Vice President of Product

Rasmus is the Vice President of Product at Portchain. His previous workplaces include Tradeshift and Falcon.io. With over 15 years of experience from start-ups and scale-ups, Rasmus comes with a strong product background and expertise in SaaS-based platform products. Rasmus’ vision for Portchain, its customers and users will ensure Portchain continues to create value-adding services and industry efficiencies.

Michele Capra

Director of Engineering

Michele is Director of Engineering at Portchain. Michele has been working in software industry for 9 years over a wide range of projects from mobile app to B2B SaaS applications. He is a Microsoft MVP and has been working in companies like nearForm. Michele has a MSc in Informatics Engineering from University of Brescia.

Edu Hensema

Director of Customers

Edu is Director of Customers for Portchain. He adds 20 years of supply chain professionalism to the team. Starting at APM-Terminals he developed to become an expat specialised in optimisation and change management. Edu continued his career with Terminal Investment Limited (TiL) in a corporate role responsible for operational insights and optimisation across the global portfolio. In both roles he supported terminal executives with P&L improvements through on-the-ground implementation of new processes, technologies and deep understanding of terminal commercial and operational needs.

Richard Magnus Jacobsen

Director of Sales

Richard is Director of Sales at Portchain. Previously he worked at reefer IoT provider Globe Tracker, as Vice president of EMEA and Director of Strategic alliances. Richard’s role included advising the global shipping lines and terminals on container optimization through increased visibility. Furthermore, Richard has 20 years of experience in global procurement and business development roles covering Microchips, SaSS and DaSS. Richard holds a BA (Hons) in Business Administration from Stafford University, and an MSc. in International Business Economics from Aalborg University. He is a native of the Faroe Islands where he is domiciled.

Jasper Boessenkool

Senior Sales Director

Jasper is Senior Sales Director at Portchain. He has extensive experience from Strategy Consulting and Technology & Innovation Management within technology intensive industries. He has 8 years of experience driving technology adaptation in the maritime sector: from Maersk, responsible for Future Technologies & Innovation, and Navis driving key client discussions on future requirements. Jasper has a MSc (with Merit) and a Ph.D. in Physics from Utrecht University (the Netherlands).

Dan Meakin

Engineering Team Lead

Dan is an Engineering Team Lead at Portchain. He has 4+ years experience working as a software developer in startups and scaleups in Copenhagen. Prior to this, Dan worked in IT & business process management. He has an MSc in IT from the University of Aalborg, focusing on software development methodology and practice.

Sergei Patiakin

Engineering Team Lead

Sergei is an Engineering Team Lead at Portchain. Sergei has 3 years of experience in both large projects at Microsoft and startups in Silicon Valley. He has a deep expertise in databases, having worked on SQL Server and Azure SQL Database at Microsoft. He holds an MSc in Physics from the University of Cambridge.

Michele Mazzucco

Head of Design

Michele is Head of Design at Portchain, and has 4+ years of experience in the User Interface and User Experience fields. Michele has worked with companies like MailUp, Manfrotto, PayPal, TotalErg, and Sky. His work has received mentions in a number of prominent digital design magazines like Net Magazine, TNW, and DesignModo. Michele has a Bachelor in Graphic Design and Multimedia from the Academy of Fine Arts of Brescia.

Jonas Bæklund

Product Owner

Jonas is a Product Owner at Portchain. Jonas has a Ph.d. in operations research from Aarhus University and has been working at AMCS / Transvision with fleet management and route optimization software for road transport for the previous 6 years.

Federico Gandellini

Staff Engineer

Federico is a Senior Software Engineer at Portchain. Federico has 10 years of experience as a full-stack developer, working in companies like MailUp and Antares Vision. He has an MSc in Information Technologies from University of Milan with an in-depth expertise in operations research.

Maria Ovchinnikova

Product Owner

Maria is a Product Owner at Portchain. Maria has a background in physics from University of Copenhagen and she has been working with machine learning, mathematical modelling and software development at Ørsted and Novo Nordisk before joining Portchain.

Laura Konya

Project Manager

Laura is Project Manager at Portchain. Previously, she worked with lean manufacturing transformations at Implement Consulting Group. She has experience from working in several multicultural environments, helping clients increasing productivity through process optimization, structured problem solving and leadership development programs. Laura holds a MSc in Industrial Engineering and Management from Linköping University.

Antonio Carrasco González

Senior Software Engineer

Antonio is a Senior Software Engineer at Portchain. Antonio has 10 years of experience working as mobile and full-stack developer in small and medium size companies in the transportation and multimedia industry. He has worked at Wavebreak Media, one of the biggest multimedia production companies in the world. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science from University of Cádiz.

David Chambers

Senior Software Engineer

David is a Senior Software Engineer at Portchain. He has 10 years of experience as a full-stack developer. He has worked at Atlassian and Plaid, among other companies. He has a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Auckland.

Sebastian Christensen

Senior Data Scientist

Sebastian is a Data Scientist at Portchain. Sebastian has worked with quantitative analytics and machine learning in the financial industry for 4 years. He has developed risk quantification frameworks for energy trading and computer vision for insurance claim handling. He has a Ph.D. in nanoscience from Aarhus University of Denmark.

Alessandro Ferrari

Senior Software Engineer

Alessandro is a Senior Software Engineer at Portchain. He worked 9 years as a freelance full-stack developer then co-founded his own startup as CEO for 5 years. Alessandro joins Portchain after holding a 5 year term in the media industry as Head of Technology. Alessandro has an MSc in Physics from University of Parma.

João Paiva Fonseca

Senior Optimization Specialist

João is an Optimization Specialist at Portchain. João has worked with mathematical programming, heuristics and matheuristics to optimize transport planning for the last 4 years. His main focus has been within scheduling, timetabling, and passenger assignment within public transport planning. He holds an MSc in Transport and Logistics and has a Ph.D. in operations research, both from the Technical University of Denmark.

Stefano Gombi

Senior Software Engineer

Stefano is a Software Engineer at Portchain. He started as a JavaScript developer when he was 16, and never stopped since. Stefano has focused his career on Front-end and UI development in multiple industries, such as medical, food, and the ceramic industry, and is now working as a Full-Stack engineer.

Graham Pegg

Senior Sales Consultant

Graham is a Senior Sales Consultant for Portchain. He has 15 years’ experience advising and selling in the maritime and software markets. Previously he was responsible for global sales for the maritime markets division at Körber Supply Chain. He has a passion for how technology and process improvement can help customers with complex planning problems. Graham studied Business Economics at Nottingham Trent University.

Julie Aaboe

UX/Researcher

Julie is a UX/Researcher at Portchain. Julie has 3+ years of experience working with user experience and user research on a wide variety of projects across different industries, from the public sector to Fintech companies and more. Her experience has provided her with a user-centric mindset and an expertise in translating complex user needs into actionable findings to drive business impact. Julie holds a MSc in Digital Design and Communication from the IT University of Copenhagen.

Alexander Krogsgaard

Optimization Specialist

Alexander is an Optimization Specialist at Portchain. Alexander has worked with analytics, planning and decision support within logistics for 3 years. He has worked with various topics such as improving the design of shipping networks, routing optimization, and optimal placement of facilities. He has a MSc in Engineering within the field of Transportation and Logistics from the Technical University of Denmark.

Utku Ufuk

Software Engineer

Utku is a Software Engineer at Portchain who holds an MSc in Computer Science. He worked for more than 5 years as a software engineer at the Turkish Space Agency, where he gained expertise in the fields of satellite technologies and signal processing. He is also experienced in building user-facing web applications, having worked as a full-stack software engineer at small startups as well.

Laia Martín

Marketing Analyst

Laia is a Marketing Analyst in Portchain and brings good marketing experience to the company. Having worked in the recycling and construction markets for the last 5 years, Laia has launched several successful regional and global marketing campaigns. She is currently studying a MSc in Communication & Brand Management at Copenhagen Business School. Previously, she studied a BSc in International Business & Marketing at ESCI-Upf, in Barcelona.

Emilie Bøge

Junior Project Manager

Emilie is a Junior Project Manager within the Customer Team at Portchain. She is currently studying a MSc in Finance & Strategic Management at Copenhagen Business School and previously studied a BSc in International Business while also attending the GLOBAL Supply Chain & Logistics Management Program at CBS. She has previously worked in fintech and sales, which fueled her interests in commerce and business innovation.

Alfred Thorhauge Holbech

Financial Analyst

Alfred is a Financial Analyst at Portchain. He is currently studying a BSc in Economics at the University of Copenhagen.

Our Team

Niels Kristiansen

CEO, co-founder

Anders Olivarius

CPO, co-founder

Thor Thorup

CCO, co-founder

Michael Lindahl

Vice President of Analytics

Toby Miller

Vice President of Customers

Craig Halford

Vice President of Sales

Rasmus Holmann Sørensen

Vice President of Product

Michele Capra

Director of Engineering

Edu Hensema

Director of Customers

Richard Magnus Jacobsen

Director of Sales

Jasper Boessenkool

Senior Sales Director

Dan Meakin

Engineering Team Lead

Sergei Patiakin

Engineering Team Lead

Michele Mazzucco

Head of Design

Jonas Bæklund

Product Owner

Federico Gandellini

Staff Engineer

Maria Ovchinnikova

Product Owner

Laura Konya

Project Manager

Antonio Carrasco González

Senior Software Engineer

David Chambers

Senior Software Engineer

Sebastian Christensen

Senior Data Scientist

Alessandro Ferrari

Senior Software Engineer

João Paiva Fonseca

Senior Optimization Specialist

Stefano Gombi

Senior Software Engineer

Graham Pegg

Senior Sales Consultant

Julie Aaboe

UX/Researcher

Alexander Krogsgaard

Optimization Specialist

Utku Ufuk

Software Engineer

Laia Martín

Marketing Analyst

Emilie Bøge

Junior Project Manager

Alfred Thorhauge Holbech

Financial Analyst